This Cyclist Is Riding Across the Country with Help from a Voice-Activated, Google-Assisted Electric Wheel

Would you ride across the country in the bitter cold of early January? What if you had help from some spiffy new e-bike technology? That’s what one cyclist is doing to promote the latest version of the Electron Wheel, an electric bike wheel that uses Google Assistant to give riders a voice-activated boost when needed.

Max Lippe began his cross-country trek in New York on December 31. He’ll ride more than 2,800 miles through 11 states by the time he’s scheduled to arrive at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 10. With the aid of the Gen 2 Electron Wheel—now on presale for $799—he plans to average around 16 mph a day, tackling nearly 125,000 total feet of elevation.

“We had plans to exhibit at CES, but wanted to enter the market in a louder way, doing something that truly displayed the power of the wheel and what electric bikes are capable of,” said James Parker, vice president of marketing and operations at Electron Wheel.

The Gen 2 wheel fits most bikes with rim brakes and mounts to the front fork, with a separate sensor attached to the crankarms. Simply by speaking into a smartphone, riders can activate the wheel for help pedaling, say, up a hill or into a vicious headwind. Integration with Google Assistant also allows you to record a ride, check the wheel’s battery level, change the assist level, and keep track of speed or distance traveled in the Electron app.

The wheel does have its limitations—namely, a 50-mile maximum range—so a follow vehicle will help Lippe swap out hoops throughout his Google-funded publicity ride. That’s good news for him, as the U.S. is currently experiencing a massive cold spell and Lippe has been forced to ride in sub-freezing temperatures for much of the journey.

“Though we prepared for cold temperatures—it is mid-winter after all—no one could have predicted the bone-chilling weather that is sweeping most of the nation,” Parker said. “That said, Max has taken many precautions to ensure that he’s best prepared to handle the climate.”

Lippe wore up to seven layers of gear on the coldest days of the ride, with temperatures dipping down to minus-5 at the end of the first night.

“It’s definitely been a huge physical challenge,” Lippe said. “It was also difficult to navigate the snow and ice on the roads during the first two days, but thankfully we’ve moved away from that weather now.” Finally reaching Arkansas, he said the mid-20s temperatures were “feeling downright balmy.”

This won’t be the first time the 24-year-old Colorado cyclist has crossed the country on a bike. Lippe was a top-10 solo finisher at the 2017 Trans Am bike race, riding more than 4,300 miles in 20 days.

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